Internet
Access and How It Affects Technological Literacy and Fluency
Wireless
access is offered to students on almost every college and university campus in
the nation. Michigan Technological University
offers Rovernet to students, which allows them
to be anywhere on campus and still have wireless internet because of hotspots
and guest access. Even
though the school offers internet on campus, students who live off campus are
responsible for internet at home.
Michigan Tech offers Microsoft programs and anti-virus programs for
students with personal computers, but there is no off campus internet program
available. With Michigan Tech being one
of the most expensive universities in the state of Michigan, many students who
attend receive one or many forms of financial aid. Some students may not be able to afford paying
monthly for internet at home; therefore they may spend a majority of their time
on campus in labs or the library just for internet access.
In
today’s time, access to the web is a vital component in achieving a college
education. If the internet went out for one
day the campus’ electrical infrastructure would fall apart. Without internet access students cannot
submit assignments, check school email, or look up research that is not in
print. For those students who cannot
afford monthly internet, their desire to learn and their interest in taking
future internet-reliable courses may decrease greatly. Their grades may suffer and so would their
overall stress level.
A
university cannot expect students to become literate or fluent in their lives
if access to resources is not offered. Literacy is the capacity to understand one’s
goals. Becoming literate in technology
requires comprehension of tasks and troubleshooting as well as the
understanding of the technology that is being used. Being fluent in technology means that a
person has learned the skills, concepts, capabilities, and domain specific
knowledge of the technology that they are using (Williams 5). A student cannot become literate or fluent in
technology if they do not have access to the resources that are specific to
technology and without the access, they will not have the interest in becoming
literate (Williams 6). Some resources
that are essential to access are internet, computers, and basic knowledge of
working devices. A student must be
competent, comfortable, and poses confidence in the basic tasks that relate to
accessing technology (Blackmon,
Samantha. "(Cyber)Conspiracy Theories?; African American Students in the
Computerized Writing Environment." Labor, writing technologies, and the
shaping of composition in the academy. (2007): 154. Print.).
Without competency, comfort, or confidence access will be affected
because the student will not have interest in the access. Literacy and fluency in technology are
directly affected by access.
A
simple solution for students who lack the economic resources to pay monthly is
a mobile broadband USB device. A mobile
broadband USB device would allow students to have access to the internet any
place in the country, whether it is off campus or on. It may be more convenient for students to add
the cost of the mobile broadband device to their tuition bill at the beginning
of the semester. The worry of being able
to afford the monthly bills and the stress of being on campus all the time would
be decreased or eliminated. By offering
an internet source that can be used anywhere off campus, Michigan Tech would be
increasing the students’ access to technology.
Access
to technology for university students would be changed in many ways because location,
economic resources and time affect interest, which in the long run affects
access. Location would not be an issue
because the internet could be accessed in the students’ homes. Their time would be saved because instead of
having to drive all the way to campus or arrive early on campus to finish an
assignment or do research, students would be able to access their assignments
at home. The extra ten, twenty, or
thirty minutes could be applied to their work.
Income would not be as big as a problem as before because the university
could offer the option of adding the extra cost to tuition instead of paying
out of pocket each month for internet from a company such as Charter or
AT&T, which can be costly. AT&T
offers a mobile broadband USB device for customers. The no commitment price is $239.00. Michigan Tech could offer the option to rent
a device per semester or year. Not only
would it be more cost effective for the students, but there is the potential
for an extra source of income for the university.
Internet
has formed an important role in technological access. According to the U.S. Census Bureau,
seventy-one point four percent of individuals in Michigan accessed the internet
from some location during 2009. Out of
the population of Michigan, seventy-three point eight percent of residents
lived in a household that had internet access in 2009. The interest to
use this essential technological resource is there, but it is still a challenge
for some college students including the students that attend Michigan
Technological University.
As
Kate Williams stated, “Literacy is power…Computer literacy standards might be a way to bring everyone up,”
(Williams 9). By simplifying access to
resources, technological literacy would increase. The access to resources could increase the
interest and desire in students to learn and discover. A mobile broadband USB device would not only
influence the technological access of students, but it just might lead them to
becoming literate and possibly fluent in technology. Wireless access is offered to students on
almost every college and university campus in the nation. Even though the school offers internet on
campus, students who live off campus are responsible for internet at home. This restriction affects technological access,
literacy, and fluency of students all across the nation and at Michigan Tech,
whether it is obvious or not.
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